Generally, as illustrated in FIG. 12, a computer system (processing system) 100 such as a server includes a plurality of processing apparatuses 110, a plurality of input/output apparatuses 120, and a plurality of communication apparatuses 130.
Each of the processing apparatuses 110 is configured as a system board including, for example, a CPU (central processing unit) 111, a DIMM (double inline memory module) 112, and a chip set 113. In FIG. 12, eight processing apparatuses 110 are provided and denoted by SB #0 to SB #7. In the following description, the processing apparatus may be referred to as a system board.
Each of the input/output apparatuses 120, for example, includes a PCI-X (peripheral components interconnect bus eXpress) card 121, a hard disk 122, and a chip set 123. In FIG. 12, eight input/output apparatuses 120 are illustrated and denoted by IOU (input/output unit) #0 to IOU #7. In the following description, the input/output apparatus may be denoted by IOU.
Each of the communication apparatuses 130, for example, includes a chip set 131 and connects the processing apparatus 110 and the input/output apparatus 120 to each other to exchange data. In FIG. 12, two of the same type of communication apparatuses 130 are illustrated. For example, a crossbar switch is used as the communication apparatus 130. In the following description, the communication apparatus may be referred to as a crossbar. Further, if one of the two crossbars is specified, reference numerals 130-0 and 130-1 are used. Reference numeral 130 is used to denote an arbitrary crossbar. In the drawings, the crossbar 130-0 may be denoted as crossbar #0 and the crossbar 130-1 may be denoted as crossbar #1.
A usage state of two crossbars 130 includes a non-redundant state and a redundant state. The non-redundant state, as illustrated in FIG. 13, indicates a state in which two crossbars 130 exchange different data (packets #A and #B), that is, two crossbars are concurrently used to improve the performance of the system 100. The non-redundant state is referred to as a unification state or non-mirror state. The redundant state, as illustrated in FIG. 14, indicates a state in which two crossbars 130 exchange same data (packet #A), that is, two crossbars are synchronized to perform the same communication operation to improve a reliability of the system 100. The redundant state is referred to as a duplication state or mirror state.
In order to set the above-mentioned usage state, as illustrated in FIG. 15, each of the crossbars 130 includes a register 132 and a configuration setting circuit 133. Each of the processing apparatuses 110 includes a register 114 and a configuration setting circuit 115 and each of the input/output apparatuses 120 includes a register 124 and a configuration setting circuit 125. Further, in FIG. 15, only SB #0 is illustrated as the processing apparatus 110 and only IOU #0 is illustrated as the input/output apparatus 120. In addition, in FIG. 15, an internal configuration of the crossbar 130-1 is illustrated but an internal configuration of the crossbar 130-0 is omitted. However, the internal configuration of the crossbar 130-0 is the same as the internal configuration of the crossbar 130-1.
A terminal apparatus (not illustrated) such as a personal computer (PC) is connected to the registers 132, 114, and 124. When the system 100 starts up, a desired usage state [non-redundant state (unification state) or redundant state (duplication state)] is set in the registers 132, 114, and 124 through the terminal apparatus. In other words, a usage state of a self crossbar 130 is set in the register 132 of each of the crossbars 130 as a configuration and the usage state of the crossbar 130 which is connected to each of the processing apparatuses 110 is set in the register 114 of each of the processing apparatuses 110 as a configuration. Similarly, the usage state of the crossbar 130 which is connected to each of the input/output apparatuses 120 is set in the register 124 of each of the input/output apparatuses 120 as a configuration.
If the configuration is set in the register 132 of each of the crossbars 130, the configuration setting circuit 133 of each of the crossbars 130 performs various settings so that each of the crossbars 130 performs an operation according to the configuration set in the register 132. If the configuration is set in the register 114 of each of the processing apparatuses 110, the configuration setting circuit 115 of each of the processing apparatuses 110 performs various settings so that each of the processing apparatuses 110 performs an operation according to the configuration set in the register 114. Similarly, if the configuration is set in the register 124 of each of the input/output apparatuses 120, the configuration setting circuit 125 of each of the input/output apparatuses 120 performs various settings so that each of the input/output apparatuses 120 performs an operation according to the configuration set in the register 124.
As described above, in the system 100 of the related art, the registers 132, 114, and 124 instruct a configuration (usage state of the crossbar 130) determined when the system 100 starts up to the configuration setting circuits 133, 115, and 125, respectively. In the system 100 of the related art, since the change of the configuration during the operation after starting up the system 100 is not considered, the settings of the resisters 132, 114, and 124 are not able to be changed while the system 100 operates.
Therefore, if any one of two crossbars 130 is exchanged or the usage state of the two crossbars 130 is changed from the unification state to the duplication state or from the duplication state to the unification state, an operator may manipulate as follows. When the crossbar 130 is exchanged, the operator temporally stops the system 100. Further, when the system 100 restarts up after exchanging the crossbar 130, the operator needs to set the usage state of the exchanged crossbar in the registers 132, 114, and 124 through the terminal apparatus. Further, if the usage state is changed, the operator temporally stops the system 100 and when the system 100 restarts up, the operator needs to set a changed usage state in the registers 132, 114, and 124 through the terminal apparatus.
[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 1992-364627